Algerian firmness on questions of memory
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune reaffirmed Algeria’s determination concerning the “memory issue” with France, its former colonizer.
In a message issued on the occasion of National Memory Day, Tebboune insisted that this issue cannot be subject to settlement or compromise and must be handled boldly to revive trust between the two nations. .
A painful past recalled
The Algerian president remembered the tragic events of May 8, 1945, during the Sétif massacres, where a protest celebrating the victory of the Allies transformed into a call for the independence of Algeria, brutally suppressed by the forces of French occupation, causing thousands of victims. Tebboune underscored that the “memory file” must be treated objectively, courageously and fairly to honour historical truth.
Collaboration for history
Since 2022, a joint commission comprised of ten historians, five from each country, has been working to jointly examine this historical period, spanning from the beginning of the occupation in 1830 to the end of the War of Independence in 1962. Their latest meeting took place was held in Paris last February.
Restitutions and recognitions
Among the advances, it was agreed to return property symbolizing the sovereignty of the Algerian state associated with Emir Abdelkader, a symbolic figure of resistance to French colonization.
The commission also suggested the installation of commemorative plaques in France at the places where Algerians detained at the start of the colonial campaign are buried. Additionally, in 2020, France returned the remains of 24 Algerian resistance fighters killed at the start of the occupation.
Recent positive developments
Last March, the French National Assembly adopted a resolution denouncing the October 17, 1961 massacre by French police against Algerian demonstrators in Paris, which Tebboune hailed as a positive step. This approach marks an effort to recognize past violence and a step towards memorial reconciliation.
These memory efforts between Algeria and France emphasise the complexity of post-colonial relations and the significance of historical truth in the construction of a common future based on respect and mutual understanding.
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